Baba permitted him and the man said, "I have been intensely thirsting for your darshan for the past three years, and today I have the opportunity! I am so happy to have the chance to pass a little time in your company. I am deeply interested in saints and one of them, Sadhu Vaswani, has great reverence for you. He speaks highly of you and has deep regard for your divinity."
"They are all my lovers," Baba replied.
"Mirchandani too is a good saint," the man continued, "and I pray to you to bring him in your contact!"
"Because I am in everyone, I am in Mirchandani, too.1 I am everything."
The man's name was E. N. Vadegar, and he expressed a desire to read some of Baba's books. He was given a copy of God Speaks . While paying for it, he said, "The money which I have now was to be donated to the agyari [fire-temple]."
Adi quipped, "It is now going to a greater agyari!"
Remarking about the book, Vadegar said, "Baba has spoken through God Speaks ! Baba is God Himself, and I have therefore seen God! Now I shall read what God says!" He added, "Parsis are most irrational in their expressions about Baba, but I am fortunate. It is all due to my mother's blessings. I am always in search of Truth. I have been doing so until this day. I am so pleased that I have met Baba and had the opportunity of his darshan."
The train stopped at Dadar and, bowing at Baba's feet, Vadegar got down. Baba gave him an orange as prasad. Many lovers were present on the station and some were to go to Navsari. Baba handed prasad to those who had come for darshan. At every station where the train halted, crowds lined up to hail Baba and rushed toward his coach when they saw that he was handing out prasad.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Baba and the mandali arrived in Navsari, and even before the train came to a halt, Baba's lovers acclaimed him enthusiastically. The instant he left the compartment he was surrounded by men, women and children. He was profusely garlanded as the group of volunteers led him through the throng. There were hundreds gathered at the station to receive Baba, despite the air of opposition that dampened the atmosphere. Baba was driven to Meher Cottage, where he was cordially received by the Desai family.
Footnotes
- 1.Sadhu "Dada" Vaswani was a sincere social worker, who established schools and hospitals for the underprivileged in Poona. Although he was not a "saint," Vaswani later had personal contact with Meher Baba. Mangharam Mirchandani, however, was neither a social worker nor a spiritually advanced individual. He was duping innocent aspirants and later Baba sent him messages to stop.